Essam el Ghannam has owned and operated Papa Palace for 8 years. He left as the riots were getting worse outside of his shop. He was watching his 12-year-old niece and had to rush her to safety. The police said to lock himself in the pizza shop. As Essam was trying to leave, teenage protestors doused him and his vehicle in lighter fluid.

“Fire this dirty pizza man,” she said. “Fuck the pizza man set him on fire.”

Then they threw lit lighters at him.

“They are doing it for fun,” he said. “It’s kids doing this stuff. I will get a weapon license and everything to save myself from this neighborhood. I can be dead, and no one will help me.”